Access to Environmental Justice

Abstract

Environmental justice is an important aspect of social justice. Regulation of the environment and decisions about development and environmental policy impact upon our quality of life by influencing and affecting our health, as well as that of our urban and natural environments, and the availability of and access to natural resources. Disadvantaged members of society typically bear the brunt of the environmental impacts of human activity. Therefore, an essential part of attaining social justice is enabling the members of the community who will be adversely affected by these impacts to participate in and have rights of review in relation to the making of environmental laws, decisions about land use and development and enforcement of environmental laws.